When They Were Young
by thebebopstampede
Summary: Have you ever wondered what would've happened if Anastasia's family wasn't killed? This story takes place when Anastasia is seventeen years old and the Romanov curse hasn't affected them...yet...Anya X Dimitri story.
1. At the Beginning

**CHAPTER 1-At the Beginning**

It was a lazy summer afternoon and Anastasia was lounging in a tall tree, the skirt of her pale purple dress scrunched up beneath her, skipping another one of her horrible dance classes. She couldn't stand her teacher because he was so boring and a terrible dancer himself. He would always stomp on her feet, claiming it was because he wasn't used to dancing with someone so much younger than him.

_'I'm only seventeen…'_ she thought as she looked at the roses, lilacs, and other flowers in the nearby garden, swaying in the breeze; it looked as if they were part of a constantly moving rainbow. Anastasia knew even though she was basically an adult, she was still considered the baby of her family, besides Alexi.

Her older sisters, Olga and Tatiana, were married now to important Russian generals that helped her father regain control of Russia and completely overthrow the Bolsheviks. The reason that Russia and her family was in one piece was partially because of them, so even though her mother would have preferred Olga and Tatiana to marry a duke or a prince. However, she happily consented to these heroes as their suitors.

Now, it was just her and Maria, along with Alexi, who wasn't suffering as much from hemophilia as he used to. It would not be long before her parents would be bothering her, just as they were doing with Maria, to find a handsome, wealthy suitor worthy enough of her.

She sighed, thinking about the daunting prospect and attempted to distract herself by playing with some of the emerald green leaves dangling in front of her face. Suddenly, she was brought out of her reverie when she heard a small rock smash into the tree, not far from where her face was.

"What the hell?!" she screamed, frantically looking around for her assailant.

Someone was laughing below her, and when she turned to look, she saw one of her favorite people in the world. Dimitri was a kitchen boy that had been working in the palace since he was very young. She had met him when she was on one of her many mischievous escapades and she found a hidden passage into the kitchens, crashing into him and sending the stack of plates that he was carrying flying everywhere. After some awkward apologies and some friendly conversation while cleaning the mess, they have been friends ever since.

"Such foul language for a delicate young duchess Miss Anya." he teased, a crooked smile on his face.

Not for the first time, Anya felt her heart race when he looked at her or spoke to her, but she didn't know why. Ignoring the feeling, she stuck her tongue out at him and threw her shoe at his head, missing by a mile. "Nice aim," he mused, arching an eyebrow as he watched it fly by.

"Shut up," she said, rolling her bright blue eyes, "They don't teach us how to aim properly in princess etiquette classes."

He laughed again, "Are you coming down any time soon? I was just inside, they've all completely given up on looking for you."

"No," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting, trying not to look at his chocolate brown eyes.

Dimitri shook his head, sending his dark brown locks askew before pushing them back with one hand. "Honestly Anya, you act like you're twelve sometimes."

She quickly proceeded to throw her other shoe at him, and this time, she hit her mark.

"HEY! That actually hurt!" He protested.

"Men are such babies..." she said, mocking him.

Dimitri responded to that by picking up her shoes and throwing them farther away. "There, now lets see you get down now without your pretty little shoes to protect your pretty little princess feet."

Anastasia simply turned away from him, "I guess I'll just stay up here all day then."

Before she knew it, Dimitri was on the branch next to her, with a childish grin on his face. "I guess I'll just have to join you then."

She snorted, already used to the playful banter that took up a good part of their conversations for the past nine years.

"You're so dead if anyone from the palace or my family finds you up here with me."

Since he was a lowly servant in the palace and she was a grand duchess, their friendship was obviously forbidden. Anastasia secretly hoped that if her father found out, he wouldn't really mind, but if he didn't like it, the consequences weren't very good.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Dimitri said, playfully ruffling her auburn hair, effectively ruining the ponytail it was in.

"Gee, thanks," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she pulled the lilac bow out of her tangled hair and attempted to tie it up again.

"No problem." And with that, he messed up her hair once again, for the umpteenth time that week.

"AGH!" she cried out in frustration, "You're such a pain sometimes, you know that Dimitri?"

"Hey," he said with a shrug while he pushed back a lock of her hair, "it's my job."

"Well, maybe you should quit your job." Anastasia said, punching him lightly on the shoulder…or so she thought…

He started to fall backwards and before she could grab him, he completely fell off of the branch.

"Dimitri!" she screamed, somewhat terrified, until she realized that he was still clinging onto the tree with his knees hooked over the thick branch.

"Yes?" he replied calmly as the green vest he was wearing fluttered to the ground due to his little stunt. Even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was grinning madly.

With an irritated huff, she leaned back onto the trunk, paying no heed to his crazy antics. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack!?"

"Nah, just trying to see whether or not you'd try to save me." he said as he was trying to right himself again with some difficulty.

"Next time you do that, I'm just going to let you fall-"

"DIMITRI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Both of their headed snapped towards the direction of the booming voice that was coming from the terrace behind the garden. It was the head maid, Mrs. Katrina, who was like an angry, old bull most of the time, but on rare occasions, the gray-haired maid was somewhat friendly.

"Get down, get down!! She's gonna kill us if she sees you with me!!" Anastasia hissed as Dimitri quickly untangled himself from the tree and landed on the ground with a rather ungraceful 'thud', somehow managing to grab his vest in the process. She hid herself behind more leaves and branches as Dimitri ran off to the impatient old woman.

Anastasia snickered as she heard Mrs. Katrina's chastising voice, "What have you been doing? There's been a spill in the kitchens and we've been waiting for half an hour for you to clean it up!"

She peeked through the branches to see Dimitri being dragged back into the palace by his ear, loudly protesting his capture with, "OW, OW, OW, OW!"

Giggling once again, she reached up to tuck some hair behind her ear and to her surprise, there was a small yellow flower. "_He must've put it there when he was messing my hair up…_" she thought as she twirled the flower with her fingers. Smiling, she leaned back once again, putting the flower back behind her ear and closed her eyes, thinking about the boy that had never ceased to surprise her after all these years.


	2. The Reverse Cinderella Effect

**CHAPTER 2-The Reverse Cinderella Effect **

It was the night of Marie's nineteenth birthday celebration and their mother and father had planned a special kind of birthday party for her. It was a masquerade ball, and no one would know who was who until midnight, which was when everyone would remove their masks and reveal their true identities. The Czar and Czarina invited many eligible bachelors: dukes, princes, lords, army officers, anyone that was in the upper class, in hopes of finding suitors for their two remaining daughters.

Naturally, Anastasia was dreading the entire thing. She didn't want to dance with stuffy, stuck-up older men. Honestly (and somewhat secretly), she'd rather dance with Dimitri, but she couldn't let her mother know about him, so she grudgingly tried on various dresses and shoes with her mother until they were both satisfied.

Looking at herself in the mirror as the Czarina was putting the finishing touches on her hair, she thought about the conversation she had with Dimitri earlier that day…

_"So, you going to sneak out of the kitchens and dance with me tonight?" she said playfully, but on the inside, she was desperately hoping that he would, even though she wasn't very sure why._

_"Erm…I can't, Mrs. Katrina would definitely notice if I wasn't there…sorry"_

_"Oh…" she said, openly dismayed, "It's ok…I'll just…see you tomorrow." and with that she walked away, leaving Dimitri alone in the hidden passageway to the kitchens._

"There," her mother said, "perfect!"

Anastasia's eyes widened as she was brought back into the present. Her hair was smoother, gleaming in the light and pulled up in an elegant bun with some curls spilling out. She had always wondered how her mother was able to create perfect hairstyles every time, each one beautiful and unique.

"Thanks mama!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around the older woman.

"Oh, Anastasia," her mother said, holding her at arms length, "You grow even more and more beautiful every day. Just wait, maybe tonight, you'll find your future husband!"

"Mama…" she complained, "Isn't that what Maria's supposed to do?"

The Czarina laughed, "Yes, but you should be looking too."

"But I don't wan-"

"Anastasia!!" Her older sisters, Olga and Tatiana were rushing towards her, squealing in delight as they hugged her. "You actually look like a lady!!" Tatiana said, completely ecstatic.

"Good to see you too…" Anastasia sighed, smiling at her sisters, "What are you doing here?"

Olga smirked and said, "Do you really think we'd miss our Maria's birthday? There's no way that we're missing this."

"What about Ivan and Kristopher?"

Tatiana shrugged, "They're here, but that's not important, we've already got our husbands, what's important is finding some for you two."

"Ooooh, this is so exciting!! Papa's little shvibzik is all grown up!" Olga exclaimed, her pink dress billowing out around her as she twirled in a circle.

Suddenly, trumpets blared in the main hallway; it was time to go. _'Great…'_ Anastasia thought as she was dragged out of the room by her sisters, closely followed by their mother, to make their grand entrance into the ballroom.

* * *

"Dimitri, do you think really think this a good idea?" said Vladimir, a member of the Imperial Court as the young man examined himself in the mirror.

"Relax, Vlad," Dimitri said, straightening out the collar of the deep red officers uniform that Vlad had let him borrow for the night, "Anya doesn't suspect a thing; she thinks I'm going to be stuck in the kitchens all night, but in the reality of it all, I'll be out in her world of grandeur and fancy things as an army officer asking her to dance." he finished with an exaggerated wave of his arms.

Vladimir sighed and pushed his small glasses up the bridge of his nose, "It's a good thing I was slimmer back in those days, otherwise, there'd be nothing for you to use."

Dimitri smiled fondly at his friend, who was sometimes like a father-figure to him, "Vlad, I really appreciate this, you have no idea."

The older man chuckled, "You must really like the young duchess to go through all this trouble for a dance."

Vlad was the only person that knew about Dimitri's secret friendship with Anastasia, and he would never betray their secret. He laughed to himself as Dimitri was still proudly looking at his reflection in the mirror, occasionally smoothing his hair back, making it look different from its somewhat unruly self.

"Vlad, she's worth all the trouble in the world." Dimitri said, giving himself a quick once over before they left. Apparently satisfied, he turned around and said, "How do I look?"

Laughing, Vlad said, "Like the most esteemed army officer in all of Russia. Now hurry up and put this on," he handed Dimitri a black silk mask, "we don't want to be late."

The two men quickly exited the room, and Dimitri hoped that one dance was all he needed to help him figure out the strange feelings he'd been having for Anya for the past several months.

Vlad and Dimitri got to the ballroom just in time. The Czar had just finished greeting all of the guests and was making a speech about Maria. However, Dimitri didn't hear a single word; all of his attention was focused on the beauty seated next to the Czarina. Her fiery auburn hair was piled on top of her head, a few stray curls gently cascading down. Neither her expression of downright boredom nor the shimmering silver mask on her face couldn't dampen her gleaming ocean-blue eyes that matched the sparkling diamond and sapphire earrings she had on. The deep midnight blue dress she wore clung to her flattering figure, following the curves of her body and standing out against her ivory skin. Her full, soft lips were tinted a rosy pink, and for some reason, they looked extremely inviting to Dimitri.

Vlad looked over and saw the young man's jaw completely unhinged and his brown eyes open wide. "Trying to catch flies?" he whispered, pushing Dimitri's lower jaw back up with his hand. Dimitri's cheeks almost matched the color of his uniform as he tried to regain his composure. Quickly scanning the room, he saw that several other young men were looking at Anastasia with the same dumbfounded expression as his. He felt the fires of jealousy flare up in his chest and with a determined look on his face, he turned back to look at her.

He chuckled to himself as he saw her subtly stifle a yawn; he knew how bored she was, sitting up there, unable to climb any trees or do anything fun, and soon she would be forced to dance with a multitude of young men. Dimitri frowned at the thought of that, promising himself that he would be the first person to dance with her, no matter what.

* * *

Anastasia thought she was going to die of boredom. Her father had been talking about Maria for forever, it seemed, and while she loved them both dearly, she was getting pretty tired of it. She looked out at the crowd and saw hundreds of young men gawking at Maria in her emerald green dress, smiling shyly at the crowd, but she noticed a few staring at her, especially a young soldier in a crimson red uniform, displaying a look of determination and wonder simultaneously. She squinted, trying to get a closer look. He looked very familiar; brown hair, lean, tall, somewhat muscular…

_'Nah_' she thought, '_What am I thinking? Dimitri said he'd be in the kitchens all night…'_

She sighed at the thought, wishing that he had been able to be there with her, still unsure of why she wanted him there with her so badly. She clapped along with the hundreds of others when her father finished his speech, and watched as swarms of men came rushing towards Maria. She laughed as she saw Maria looking utterly flustered, unsure about which man to dance with first. Anastasia turned around again and saw the mysterious soldier in red standing in front of her.

"Hi…" he said, sounding somewhat breathless.

"Hello," Anastasia said with a smile, wondering how he was able to get over to her so quickly.

"May I have this dance?" he said, bowing politely, one hand outstretched towards her.

"Of course," she said happily as she curtsied, partially amazed at how un-reluctantly she accepted his offer.

The music slowly started and grew louder and everyone in the ballroom immediately began to dance to the fast paced waltz. She took his hand and he pulled her close, one hand on her waist, the other intertwined with hers and they began to dance as well, the mystery man with grace, Anastasia somewhat awkwardly. '_I knew I should've stayed for dance class,' _she thought as she accidentally stomped on his foot. Her face turned bright red when he laughed and said, "Aren't the men supposed to lead when you dance?"

She stomped on his foot again, this time on purpose and laughed as he pretended to be in unbearable pain. Anastasia looked into his brown eyes and smiled, "But I like to lead."

The mystery man laughed again and said in his deep voice, "That's what I expected."

She cocked her head to one side, "Really?" she said raising an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of that.

He smiled a crooked smile, one that looked excruciatingly familiar but she couldn't place it, and said, "Well, from what I've heard of you, you're very stubborn and you like to do things your own way."

"Right, and who is this reliable source that you keep hearing these things from?" she asked slyly.

The officer hesitated for a moment before saying, "My…uncle is...in the Imperial Court…and…he tells me about you and your family when I visit him."

"Oh..." Anastasia said quietly, wondering why she had never seen this young man in the palace before. After all, most of the members of the court lived in the palace with them. But then again, she didn't know what he truly looked like since his face was covered by the black mask. She was dying to know who he was, the one person that caught her attention at a ball and the one person that she _willingly _agreed to dance with. This was definitely a first for her.

They continued to dance with somewhat effortless grace until the song unfortunately ended. Anastasia reluctantly let go of his hand to allow to him to bow and her to curtsy. She looked around as the next song began to play; a handful of men were circled around them like a pack of vultures, waiting to seize her and take her for themselves. As one of the men began to advance, she quickly grabbed her mystery man's hand and spun away from the others, giving no time for usual formalities. He raised an eyebrow, giving her a questioning look, "You really want to keep dancing with me that badly?"

She rolled her eyes as he held his hand up to let her spin. "Yes." she said as she took his hand once again, feeling satisfied that she was able to stay with him, "I would be devastated if we were forced apart." "There's no way I'm dancing with them."

He laughed heartily, making her heart flutter, "I knew it."

She kicked him in the shin playfully and said, "Not that I'm trying to ruin your deluded little fantasy or anything, but I just really don't want to dance with them. But, I do like dancing with you." she quickly added, noticing the slightly disappointed look that had crept onto his face.

He smiled and said, "It's O.K., I'd be pretty scared too if I was you, they look like a bunch of scavengers."

Anastasia giggled, "My thoughts exactly."

"So," he began, picking her up and spinning, in sync with the other dancers and he gently set her back down on the ground again, "there's no one else you'd rather dance with?"

"Well…"

* * *

Dimitri's heart was thudding in his chest; he prayed that the other man wouldn't be some rich duke or prince or noble or some other prissy rich boy.

"There's one other…" Anastasia said, blushing again, "a friend of mine."

His heart kicked into overdrive as he awaited the rest of her answer. "And he would be…" he said, prompting her.

"You probably never heard of him, he isn't an officer or a member of the Court."

"I still want to know who he is, after all, he's the one person that would steal you away from me." he said coyly.

She laughed again, twirling out from him and coming back, gently placing her hand back in his. "His name is Dimitri."

He sighed internally, his heart momentarily straying from its crash-course at breakneck speed and skipping a beat. "I think I've heard of him," he said, smiling.

Her eyes widened in confusion, "You have? But-"

Her words were cut short by hand on her shoulder.

"May I cut in?"

"Grandmamma!" Anastasia exclaimed, throwing her arms around the old woman, "I knew you'd be here!"

"I'm sorry I'm late," her grandmother said, patting her on the back.

Anastasia released her from her embrace and smiled, "It's alright."

The Dowager Empress smiled sweetly, "Oh, my Anastasia, you look beautiful, as always. But be careful, you might just steal the spotlight from Maria."

Anastasia gave an exasperated sigh, "Oh please grandmamma, I don't to attract anyone's attention tonight."

Her grandmother raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm not so sure about that, you seemed very happy with keeping that young man's attention."

She laughed as Anastasia's eyes widened in horror and her cheeks became flushed. "T-that's different, I-" Anastasia turned around, hoping that the officer hadn't heard a word they said, but to her surprise and dismay, he was gone.

* * *

After leaving the dance floor to speak with her grandmother for awhile and to eat dinner, Anastasia frantically scanned the crowd for her mystery man. There were many officers with brown hair and brown eyes in red uniforms that had black masks on but none of them had the familiar crooked smile or mischievous glint in their eyes. She glanced at the large clock on the far wall and saw that it was 11:45, only fifteen minutes until all of the guests had to take their masks off. Pushing through the crowd once again, Anastasia tried to make her way back to the grand staircase to get a better view until she was stopped by a strong pair of arms. Startled, she tried to pull away until she heard, "Whoa, take it easy there princess." Her eyes trailed from the hand that was holding her arm to the red sleeve of an officer's uniform to the face of her mystery man. She sighed with relief; she had finally found him, and just in time.

A slow waltz began to play, one last song to finish off the night.

"Is there any need for me to ask you to dance?" he said, holding out his hand to her like he did several hours before.

"Not at all." Anastasia said as she pulled deeper him into the crowd where they'd be unnoticed; everyone was focused Maria and her own mystery man in the front of the grand ballroom, wondering who had captured the attention of the birthday girl.

She placed her hand in his and wondered why it felt so natural; she had just met him. "Where have you been all night? I've been looking all over for you."

"I was talking to my uncle and some other officers." Dimitri replied smoothly, effectively masking the truth. He actually had to go back into the kitchens for part of the night so no one would suspect him of anything. He hated missing out on dancing with Anya; he prayed that she didn't dance with anyone else while he was gone.

"You weren't dancing with another girl, were you?" Anastasia asked, frowning slightly.

"You're grace," Dimitri said as she elegantly spun under his upheld arm, "there is no one else I'd rather dance with. But you, however, surely must have danced with someone else tonight during my absence."

She wrinkled her nose at the thought, "Really? You expected me to dance with those vultures? I hid whenever they came around and if one of them was able to actually talk to me, I pretended that someone was calling me and ran away."

He chuckled and said, "You didn't even dance with your friend…Dimitri, was it?"

Anastasia's smile quickly faded when she heard his name mentioned. "No," she said quietly, "he wasn't able to make it."

"I'm sorry about that, your highness." Dimitri said, even though he was jumping for joy on the inside, thrilled that she cared about him that much. He was about to continue, but then he heard the music slowly fade away. They both froze, Anastasia in excitement, Dimitri in panic, both of them realizing that it must be midnight. The Czar was standing on the grand staircase, his loud voice scarcely heard over the deep gongs of the clock, telling the guests that it was now time to remove their masks. Dimitri began to pull away from Anastasia, who desperately clung onto him, as if her life depended on it.

"Where are you going?! Please stay, I need to know who you are." she begged, looking up at him, her blue eyes wide open in fear, not bothering to hide that fact that she'd be devastated if she didn't know who he was.

Dimitri almost wasn't able to fight against the look in her eyes but as the clock chimed again, he was brought back to his senses. "I can't princess, I need to go, I'm so sorry." He began to weave through the crowd, whose entire attention was focused on Maria, but Anastasia was right on his heels. She grabbed his arm again and turned him around.

"Please, just let me see your face, or tell me your name, anything!" she pleaded, frantically pulling him closer to her.

The clock chimed one last time, it was finally midnight. Anastasia reached up to take off the mask but he stopped her, placing his hands on either side of her face as he said, "Here's something to remember me by." Dimitri quickly closed the distance between them and kissed her hungrily, finally doing the thing he'd been unknowingly dreaming of for such a long time.

It was nothing like he expected; her soft lips fit perfectly under his own and they were like an intoxicating drug, making him want more and more. He felt her arms go around his neck, but he was concentrating on more important things, like how it felt so right when their lips moved together, but he knew it had to end. Just before the kiss got deeper, he pulled away and with one last glance, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving Anastasia confused, elated, and dismayed all at the same time.


	3. Q & A

"Anya!"

Anastasia slowly turned to the source of the noise and saw none other than Dimitri emerging from the secret passageway that servants used to get in and out of her room. Usually she'd be much more excited to see him, but not today. The only man that she wanted to see was the mysterious officer that kissed her at the ball.

"Hi…" she said vaguely, looking back into the mirror in front of her, still wondering if she'd ever see him again.

She didn't notice Dimitri standing behind her, with a grin so wide it looked like it would rip his face in half if he smiled any bigger. '_She still remembers me! Well…him. I hope she liked that kiss as much as I did…'_

He cleared his throat and asked, "How was the ball last night? The servers were telling us that everyone seemed to be having a good time…especially you."

Dimitri smirked as he saw her face turn bright pink, knowing that he was the one that was causing her to blush like that. That he was the one she had been thinking about since the end of the ball. That he was the only one that danced with her.

"I guess you could say that…" she said cautiously, suddenly finding the hairbrush that was on the table in front of her incredibly fascinating.

He sauntered over to her and took the hairbrush off the table, breaking her concentration. "I heard that you danced with a certain officer for most of the night."

Anastasia's face turned an even more violent shade of pink and she began playing with her fingers, "Well of course I did, what else was I going to do all night? Just sit there and look pretty? I don't think so; and besides, I wouldn't have had to dance with him if you showed up like you should have." she snapped.

'_Ouch…'_ Dimitri thought as he placed the brush back down on the table. "Look," he said, placing his index finger underneath her chin and tilting her head up so he could look into her eyes, "you know I would've loved to have been there with you, but you also know that everyone would either have had a heart attack or killed me if they saw me talking to you, let alone dance with you."

Anastasia's smoldering blue eyes softened as she realized that what he said was true. "Yea, I know…" she said as she got up from the stool and walked over to the window, staring absently at the view of the grounds.

Dimitri sucked in a breath, trying to calm his over-reactive heart, and continued in a girlish voice, "So who was this officer that stole your heart?" He could tell that she was rolling her eyes even though he could only see the back of her head.

"…I don't know…" she reluctantly replied, "I never got to see his face, he wouldn't let me take his mask off…"

"So what did he do?" Dimitri asked innocently, secretly relishing these few moments that he knew something she didn't.

_'Oh boy…' _Anastasia thought, '_should I even tell him? He might go on a mad rampage or something…' _Her troubled thoughts were momentarily broken as she smiled, knowing and loving the fact that Dimitri was so protective of her. She had always thought of it as brotherly, but now, she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted it to be.

"He kissed me." she blurted out, scrunching her eyes shut, preparing herself for some yelling at the very least.

"Oh."

Her eyes snapped open and she whirled around, utterly shocked at Dimitri's calm response.

"What?"

He sighed and said with a shrug of his shoulders, "Hey, it was bound to happen someday."

Anastasia realized that she still had a dumbfounded expression plastered onto her face when she heard him chuckle so she quickly shook her head, trying to get her thoughts straight. "It doesn't matter," she said, waving her hand as if she were trying to fend off thoughts of her mystery man, "he's gone and I'll never see him again. Really Dimitri, it doesn't matter," she said in response to him raising an eyebrow and giving her a questioning look.

"Anya," he said as he walked over to her, "it obviously does matter to you if you've been thinking about him since last night and yes I could tell as soon as I walked into the room that something, well someone was on your mind." She had opened her mouth in an attempt to protest but he quickly cut her off.

"Now, let's try to figure out who this guy is…"

Anastasia sighed reluctantly, cuing him to go ahead with his "investigation."

"Did he smile like this?" Dimitri flashed a crooked smile, just like he did last night, and was overjoyed to see the shocked expression on her face as she nodded, her mouth slightly open.

"Alright, we've got one thing down, we just need a couple more clues…was his voice, like this?" he said, making his voice slightly deeper like he did the night before.

Her sparkling blue eyes got even wider as she furiously nodded once again, '_No, it can't be,' _she thought as she watched him pace around the room, trying to think of another question to ask her, '_he said he'd be in the kitchens all_ _night, there's no way he could've…oh who am I kidding, I would have recognized him, even with a mask on…wouldn't I?'_

"Did he…" Dimitri began as he walked towards her, "dance with you like this?" He picked her up and spun like he did yesterday, and set her back down, enclosing her hand in his while he placed another one on her waist.

Anastasia thought that her heart was going to burst out of her chest as soon as he touched her; she felt the same electricity that coursed through her body when her mystery man held her, but it was nowhere as strong as the energy she felt when he kissed her.

"Yes!" she squeaked, hoping that his little question and answer session would end soon, but she couldn't help but think in the back of her mind that she _didn't _want him to stop.

The little voice's prayers were answered when Dimitri bent his head towards hers, their faces only centimeters apart and the distance becoming shorter and shorter each second. "Did he kiss you like this?" he asked in a husky voice, his eyes slightly closed before gently pressing his lips against hers.

Anastasia took in a sharp breath when she felt the same jolt from the night before spark from their lips and quickly spread through the rest of her body. Her arms seemed to have a mind of their own when they wrapped around Dimitri's neck, just like they had the night before.

"Yes," she sighed, looking at him through partially lidded eyes when they broke apart after what seemed to be hours.

He smiled the crooked smile that she had previously thought was her mystery man's and whispered in her ear, "Thought so." before he kissed her a second time.


	4. The Nightmare

**CHAPTER 4-The Nightmare**

Anastasia opened her eyes to see sunlight streaming in through her windows. She yawned and stretched and looked around the room, mildly confused. Instead of the usual burgundy and gold colored walls, she was looking at pale blue ones.

_'We came to the summer home?_' she thought, swinging her legs to the side of the bed.

She shrugged, thinking that they must have traveled at night and she had fallen asleep on the way over. Walking over to her dresser, she noticed a piece of paper neatly placed on top of it.

"_Anastasia" _it said, "_we are all at the lake. I'm sorry I didn't wake you, but you seemed very tired. Come as soon as you can. Mama"_

Anastasia smiled as she picked out her blue and white striped bathing suit from one of the dresser drawers, happy to be able to go swimming with her family after being cooped up in the palace for so long. However, her smile suddenly turned into a sad frown; she knew Dimitri wouldn't be there with them, he had to stay at the palace in St. Petersburg, only the most important servants were brought along with the Romanovs to the summer home.

With a sigh, she trudged out the door, down the hallway and staircase and out onto the veranda at the back of the house. Politely declining a servant's offer to escort her to the lake, she made her way along the dirt path lined with wildflowers and tall grass, her mood getting lighter and lighter as she was exposed more and more to the bright sunlight.

She saw Alexi standing at the top of the hill that she was climbing, eagerly waving to her, "C'mon Anastasia!" he yelled, jumping and waving to her. She laughed, walking faster and faster to get to the top. What she met there however, was not expected.

"Dimitri!?" she gasped incredulously, as he gave her that heart-stopping smile of his, "What are you doing here?!" she hissed, "Do you want to get us both killed?!"

"Relax," he said, offering his hand, which she gladly but hesitantly took, "everything's fine."

They followed Alexi to a ledge where her mother was reading, but still keeping an eye on her son as he jumped into the water below. Anastasia peeked over the edge to see her sisters shrieking with glee, and her father and her eldest sister's husbands laughing as Alexi resurfaced, splashing water all around. They looked up at Anastasia and Dimitri, calling out to them, "Get in you two!" her father shouted while avoiding the waves of water Alexi was making.

Anastasia looked questioningly at Dimitri, who merely took her hand and began to drag her to the edge. "Are you sure about this? Nobody's mad?" she asked, resisting slightly to his pull. "Yep," he said, tightening his grip, "just get in."

"Ow! Let go of me, that hurts!"

Dimitri went on ignoring her and seized her shoulders with both of his hands, his eyes turning yellow and narrowing into slits. His teeth turned razor-sharp, and his skin turned an angry red, looking as if he was badly burned. Anastasia was horrified as he continued to transform in front of her very eyes, "Papa, Mama, somebody, help!" she cried, struggling against Dimitri's vice-grip. Anastasia gasped in shock to see her own family as red, winged demons just like Dimitri, encircling her, cackling maniacally.

"Not a chance, little Anya." she heard a taunting, sickeningly familiar voice behind her say.

Demon-Dimitri roughly turned her around to face none other than Rasputin, Alexi's old healer.

"No!" Anastasia whispered, her eyes growing wide. She remembered the night of the 300th anniversary ball of the Romanov reign when Rasputin stormed in, threatening them all with a curse after he was banished by Nicholas. She remembered the chandelier crashing onto the dance floor after Rasputin's frightening departure, nearly flattening several guests as they screamed and ran towards the doors. The only people that didn't leave were a select few servants, the rest of her family, and the Russian army. Nicholas ordered Anastasia and the other to go hide, and he went off with the soldiers to fight off the Bolsheviks that were storming the palace. Luckily, everything turned out fine; order was quickly restored, Nicholas changed some of his policies to make the Russian people happier, and all was well. Everyone had forgotten about Rasputin, assuming that he was frozen under the ice somewhere across the vast Russian tundra, never to be seen again. Unfortunately, Anastasia quickly realized, he wasn't and he was back with a vengeance.

"You didn't think that I really disappeared, did you Anya?" he said as the bright, sunny day quickly changed to a hellish scene; the sky now blood red and stormy, the trees turned black and their branches claw-like, the grass and wild flowers dead. "I did say that I wouldn't rest until every single one of you was dead, didn't I?"

Anastasia was too horror-struck to respond, she realized that he must've gotten to everyone else, and that she was the last one to go. "At last, the Romanov curse is complete!" he cried, stretching his corpse like hand into the air as lightning crackled through the blood red sky.

"Do svidanya, little Anya!" Rasputin said gleefully, waving as the demons closed in on her, the one that was Dimitri violently shaking her.

"!!" she screamed, desperately hoping that someone would hear her-

"Anya!! Anya!! Wake up!!"

Her eyes snapped open, but she continued to scream wildly and flail her arms around in every direction, making contact with something that felt like a person's face.

"Ouch!"

She bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily, frantically looking around the room for the thing that she hit, hoping that it was one of those demons. As soon as she saw a head of brown hair rise from the floor, she yelled, throwing her pillows one by one at her assailant.

"ANYA CALM DOWN!"

Her eyes widened as she saw a disheveled looking Dimitri at the side of her bed, holding his hands up in surrender.

"It's me," he said, between breaths, "Dimitri!"

Anya narrowed her eyes, snarling, "That's just what you want me to think!" She launched herself at him, tackling him to the floor and pinning him on his back. "Take that! And that!" she shouted, punching and slapping that man that she thought was a demon. He seized her hands and flipped her over onto her back. She was about to scream again, but he silenced her with a kiss. That only angered her more and she head-butted him, the loud 'thwack' resonating throughout the room. She scrambled to her feet, stepping on his chest with one foot to keep him on the ground.

"Anya!" he shouted, "You had a nightmare!! Everything's fine now, just calm down!!"

Breathing deeply, she surveyed her surroundings, realizing that she was still in the St. Petersburg palace, the familiar burgundy and gold walls calming her as she realized that she was in fact awake.

She looked down again after realizing that her foot was still on Dimitri's chest, pressing down on him rather hard.

"Oh!" she said as she removed her foot and sat down on the floor next to him, "I'm so sorry!!"

She cradled his head with one hand and held his hand with the other, apologizing over and over again as he gingerly sat up.

"Don't you dare say 'men are such babies' right now, you gave me quite a beating, princess." he growled jokingly as he rubbed his forehead.

"I'm sorry, I just had a terrible dream-"

"Yeah, I heard," he said, interrupting her, "I was just in the passageway bringing in some tea and I heard you screaming so I ran down the rest of the way, opened the door, tried to wake you up, and then you attacked me. Some thanks I get."

Anya sighed, and placed her hand over the one on his forehead, "I'm _really _sorry," she said, "here, let me make it feel better." Gently removing his hand, she softly kissed his forehead, which was still pink from where she smashed her head into his.

"Much better," he breathed, leaning back again. "So, what happened in your big bad nightmare?" he said as Anya placed his head in her lap.

She told him everything that had happened; the lake, the demons, himturning intoa demon, Rasputin, the curse, everything, while absentmindedly stroking his soft brown hair.

"Do you really think he's back?" Dimitri asked, his eyes closed, evidently comfortable with the situation.

Anya's hand paused before she brought it to rest on his cheek. "I don't know…but I think we should all be watching out for him."

"Yeah, nothing like a half dead guy to scare the crap out of you-OW! Enough with the hitting!"

"You deserve it," she said after playfully smacking him on the cheek, "I was being serious."

"I know, I know."

They sat in silence for a few seconds until they heard footsteps pounding towards the door. In a flash, Dimitri was in the hidden passageway and Anastasia was back in bed, under the covers, feigning sleep.

The doors opened with a bang, and she sat up quickly, and squinted at the figure that she assumed was Maria.

"What?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Anastasia, come quickly it's Papa!"

Anastasia leapt out of bed and ran after her sister to their parent's room, hoping that her nightmare hadn't come true.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
ok then, there's chapter 4, new twist in the story bwahahahaaa

just wanted to take a moment to say thank you thank you thank you for all the wonderful reviews and faves for this story, including

NeverTooLate03

Sailorsapphire1991

Britney628

just to name a few

once again, thank you!! I really appreciate it, and chapter will be coming up soon! (maybe around the end of the week???)


	5. Rasputin's Revenge

**CHAPTER 5-Rasputin's Revenge**

"Papa?" Anastasia whispered, her eyes wide open in horror.

The Czar was laying in bed, his skin deathly pale, even in comparison to the ivory pillow his head was on, a slick sheen of sweat covering his body and drenching his dark brown hair. His eyes were scrunched up in pain and every couple seconds, he shivered, causing his wife to jump every time. The Czarina had her hand on her husband's forehead, gently keeping a wet towel in place.

The Czarina looked at Anastasia and Marie in the doorway with tear-soaked eyes and wearily motioned for them to come in.

"Oh, if only Rasputin were here," she lamented. The Czarina was a person that believed that all people were truly good on the inside, and even though Rasputin threatened and attempted to curse and kill their family, she still believed that he was a good person deep down.

"Mama, don't say things like that," Anastasia said quickly, still somewhat recovering from the nightmare she had only a short while ago. "He tried to _kill _us Mama, he wouldn't be any help to us right now."

The Czarina sighed and turned her attention back to her husband, not responding to what Anastasia said.

"Your father has been like this since this morning, but he was perfectly fine when we first woke up. I just left for one second to wake up Alexi, and when I came back in, he was on the floor, unconscious and deathly pale, as if he had seen a ghost…"

Her words became unintelligible as she rambled on about how it was her fault until Anastasia and Marie put their arms around her and began to comfort her.

They all sat in silence, save for their mother's sobs, tending to their father until the doctor arrived shortly afterward.

"This is unlike anything I've ever seen," Doctor Petrov muttered, pressing his stethoscope to the Czar's chest as he continued the examination, "and you said he seemed perfectly fine this morning?"

The Czarina slowly nodded, not taking her eyes off of her husband even for a second, "Yes, everything seemed fine…"

Anastasia suddenly had a vision of Rasputin flash through her mind, his corpse-like hands reaching out, trying to drag her into the fray of demons.

"The Romanov curse…" she murmured, slightly horrified that she even thought that was the reason for her father's illness.

Right when she said that, the Czar's eyes snapped open, dark and bloodshot.

"Oh! You're alright!" the Czarina exclaimed, throwing her arms around her husband, saying how happy she was that he was ok as he stiffly returned the embrace.

"Yes," he mused, flexing his arms and opening and closing his fingers, as if he had returned from an out-of-body-experience, "I'm perfectly fine."

Anastasia and Maria exchanged glances; although they were happy that their father was awake and not seriously injured, something didn't seem right. Their mother, however seemed to pay no attention as she continued to fuss over him, pushing the doctor out of the way as she tidied up the bed and tried to give her husband some tea.

"Enough," he replied gruffly, shoving away the steaming hot cup of tea that the Czarina was repeatedly trying to make him drink, "leave me, I must try to…relax after having overcome this ordeal."

Everyone hurried out of the room, including their mother who still didn't seem the least bit worried, "Oh, he's just grumpy because he was sick; no one is happy when they've just gotten better."

Anastasia caught Maria rolling her eyes at their mother as she continued to speak, "Now, you girls hurry up get dressed for breakfast, I'll be in the dining hall."

"Yes, Mama," they both replied dejectedly as the Czarina walked towards the grand staircase, seemingly oblivious to the dark aura that had surrounded the Czar's room.

"Anastasia," Maria said, her eyebrows furrowed as if she were deep in thought as they walked towards their rooms, "_you _can obviously see that something is wrong with Papa even though Mama _can't_…do you have any idea what could be causing this?"

Anastasia bit her lip as the nightmare replayed through her head for what seemed like the millionth time in the past five minutes.

"Well," she said hesitantly, "I had this nightmare, and Rasputin was in it…he was talking about the curse that he put on our family at the anniversary ball, remember?"

Maria sighed as she opened her bedroom door and looked at Anastasia as if she were a nine year old that needed to be told not to eat yellow snow.

"Anastasia, you can't honestly believe that, the man's been _dead_ for _ten years_. If it didn't work then, it's not going to work now."

She then slammed the door shut, leaving Anastasia in the cold, empty hallway.

Anastasia tried to believe her sister's words, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Rasputin was somehow behind all this. Her father's haunting eyes and deathly pallor was almost the same as Rasputin's as well as his rough, callous voice.

Unable to help herself, Anastasia turned around and began to walk towards her father's room, unsure of what was really behind the door.

Anastasia could see a small sliver of light on the plush blood-red carpet. She silently crept towards the door, peering in through the thin opening. Her father was fully dressed now, setting his comb down onto the wooden dresser, about to look into the ornate gold-rimmed mirror above it; nothing out of the ordinary. Still not convinced, Anastasia leaned in closer, her heart hammering in her chest and she almost shreiked when she saw what was in the mirror. As her father looked up, the reflection was not his. It was Rasputin's. Anastasia blinked furiously, her hands clamped over her mouth, praying that she was merely hallucinating. She looked at the reflection once again to see Rasputin's lips parted in a smile, his rotting teeth fully displayed. Her father puffed out his chest and both him and the reflection said, "What do you think, Bartok? Taking possession of this body was much easier than I expected..." he murmured to himself.

On the corner of the dresser leaning on a glass reliquary filled with erie, swirling green smoke was a small white bat, looking incredibly guilty and jumpy.

"Well, in my opinion, sir," the bat said, tilting its head as it looked at her father's body, "much better than the whole dead thing you had going sir, but really," the bat continued as the Czar stroked his beard, "don't you think this is a bit long to hold a grudge? I mean, come on sir, ten years? Just let it go sir!"

"Nonsense, Bartok," the Czar said as he snatched the reliquary from the table top, sending the bat toppling backwards, "ten years is a perfectly good amount of time, and besides," he said with an evil grin, "I did say that I would not rest unti I see the end of the Romanov reign, didn't I?"

"Yes you did sir," Bartok said as he stood up, brushing himself off, "but you could just let _me_ take care of it, sir!" The Czar raised an eyebrow as he listened to the bat exclaim, "I'd give them a HA!-" he headbutted an invisible enemy, "and a HIYA!-" he waved his arms around emphatically, "and then a WOO-AH!-" he jumped up and did a flying kick in the air, "and I'd kick 'em, sir," he finished, gently kicking his foot after he landed back onto the table top, smiling sheepishly.

However, Bartok's antics and innocent smile couldn't remove the horror-struck expression on Anastasia's face; she was watching her nightmare become true right before her very eyes.

The Czar and his grotesque relfection laughed wickedly, "Oh, no, my naïve little friend, the best way to get the job done is to do it _yourself_."

Her father turned away from the mirror, the image of Rasputin vanishing, "Come," he said, stuffing the reliquary in his pocket and dragging Bartok off of the dresser, "we have work to do."

Anastasia quickly backed away from the door and ran as fast as she could down the hallway, not looking back until she was in the confines of her room. Panting heavily, her fumbling hands managed to lock the door and she let out a sigh. Turning her back to the door, she slid down, her body pressed firmly against it, the conversation she had just heard running through her head like a broken record. Even with the door locked, she didn't feel any sense of safety or comfort whatsoever. She knew they were all in trouble, and she had no idea how they were going to get out of it.

That was until she saw Dimitri's head poke out from the servant's secret passageway, his face turning from clueless to worried as he saw her familiar mischevous smile creep onto her lips, a sure-fire sign that she was hatching a plan.

* * *

ok, once agan, I'd like to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews, I loved them and they made me feel great! :D

and I'm sosososososososooooooooooooo sorry for how delayed this chapter was.  
my computer got a virus and it was just fixed yesterday.  
_Thank God _I didn't lose any of my documents, that would've been a nightmare XD

alrighty then, call me cheesy but i HAD to but in Bartok's little HIYA!!! thing in there, i love him!!!! so if u don't like it, fine. (i severely doubt that anyone wouldn't like it...)

oh, and if you don't know what a reliquary is, its the glowing green thingy Rasputin carries around all the time in the movie  
just putting that out there in case anybody didn't figure that out...pretty sure that people could haha

Well, now to write more chapters yay!!! That's the whole point of winter break right?? to write fanfiction. HAH. no really, i will right, don't worry!!!!

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE ENCOURAGING/LOVELY/AMAZING REVIEWS EVERYONE!!!!!!!

(p.s.- the whole yellow snow thing...yeah...i couldnt think of anything to use for that line, i was just trying to use something that was really obvious/common sense and everyone should know it, and if you had to explain it to someone, then they'd seem really stupid...  
so if there are any suggestions out there, they'd be much appreciated, thanks :P )


	6. A Rumor in Saint Petersburg

**CHAPTER 6-RUMOR IN ST. PETERSBURG**

"Anya, I'm not sure this is such a good idea…"

"Oh, will you stop? It'll be just fine, no one's going to recognize me," Anya said, adjusting the dark purple pageboy hat she had propped up on her head as Dimitri was lounging behind her in an armchair with a looking up at her questioningly.

"So, how do I look?" Anya twirled around to face Dimitri, the bottom of her overly-large ratty tan shirt billowing out around her like a ball gown, momentarily blocking out the light from her bedroom windows.

He sighed, rubbing one of his eyes with the heel of his left hand, "Like a princess that has no idea what she's getting herself into."

Anya frowned, crossing her arms over her chest, her bright blue eyes boring into Dimitri, "You do this stuff all the time, what's the difference if I sneak around with you? You've taken me out of the palace before."

Dimitri rolled his eyes, his head thumping into the back of the massive arm chair as he said, "Your Grace, I don't 'sneak around'"-he formed air quotes with his fingers-"_all _ the time, I just consider it a part time job."

"Uh-huh," she replied, walking away from the window towards Dimitri, cornering him like a predator does with its prey, "So being a con-man is a 'part time job'?"

He backed up slightly in his chair before saying, "Con-man is such a _harsh _word, Your Majesty, I prefer to use the term-"

"Good-for-nothing petty thief?"

"Well, I consider myself above such things Your-"

"And don't try to butter me up with those little prestigious titles, Dimitri," she said as she poked him in the chest, his eyes opening wider and wider each time her finger made contact, "that only worked on me when I was twelve."

He turned his head to the side, muttering, "Yeah, if only you were as gullible and stuck up as you were then...OW!"

Anya smirked as Dimitri rubbed his arm, wincing slightly. "You were saying?"

"That you look just like a commoner."

"Thank you," she said with an airy voice, curtsying for him. "Now let's get going." Anya grabbed the large, olive-green overcoat that was sitting in the vanity next to her and crawled through the servant's passageway, Dimitri begrudgingly following close behind.

The streets of Saint Petersburg were much different than the luxurious and extravagant castle walls; the summer merchants were out selling the last of their wares, peddling fruit and vegetables from around the globe, as well as small trinkets and other goods. You could tell that the seasons were quickly changing from summer to fall, but at the same time, you'd hardly notice with all the excitement still in the air. The trademark bitter cold of Russian winters was slowly creeping in, making the air slightly chilly, and you could feel it in your bones that there was change occurring.

However, the seasons weren't the only change going on in Saint Petersburg…

Anya and Dimitri weaved in an out of the crowds in the busy market square, Anya leading the way even though she hadn't the faintest idea where they were going, Dimitri struggling to keep up even though he knew every nook and cranny of the shadier parts of the city (and exactly where they were headed).

"Anya!" Dimitri exclaimed, stumbling through the crowd, reaching out to the slightly oblivious woman, finally managing to grasp on to her hand.

She whirled around in slight surprise as she was brought out of her reverie, blushing, "Sorry, my head was…in the clouds…" There was a slight hint of worry that she couldn't completely hide, especially from Dimitri.

"Anya," he repeated in a calming tone, "relax, everything will be just fine, you just need to let _me_ take the lead for once so we can find this woman."

Dimitris mild jest managed to squeeze a smirk out of Anya, who replied, "Well maybe if you made more of an effort to take the lead, we wouldn't be constantly having this problem."

"You didn't seem to mind me taking the lead on the dance floor." Dimitri said slyly, without skipping a beat.

Her cheeks instantly went from pale ivory to rose red and she quickly turned around in a feeble attempt to hide it, "So where exactly is this Baba…Mishka, is it?"

"Well, like I said, if you _actually let me lead, _then we'd be there by now."

"It's not like you need permission, you're just too lazy to take the lead."

"LAZY?"

"She certainly has a mind of her own." A barely audible voice said from somewhere next to them.

"Yeah, I hate that in a woman…" Dimitri muttered, not noticing nor caring about whomever it was who said it.

Anya crossed her arms, her eyebrows slightly raised in mock annoyance, "Well obviously you've learned to deal with it for all these years."

Dimitri threw his head back mock-pulling at his hair, "GAAAAAAH!"

Anya waited patiently, rolling her eyes while she crossed her arms and tapped her toe. He removed his hands from his head, glowering at her, "I-"

He stopped, finally noticing the person that entered their conversation earlier, a small old woman standing about a foot behind Anya, covered in a deep purple shawl. A smile lit up his face, "I should've known that you'd find me first."

Anya gave Dimitri a puzzled look, slowly turning around to face the old woman. She shuffled over to them, the top of her head barely reaching Anya's elbow. She looked up at Dimitri, a toothy grin appearing on her wrinkled face, "I always know when my Miti is in trouble."

Now it was Dimitri's turn to blush as he obligingly bent down to receive a kiss on the cheek from Mishka as Anya was turning beet red from holding in her laughter. She let a small snort escape her, gaining the attention of Baba Mishka. The old woman took a cursory once-over of Anya, looking a bit like a fat old vulture circling its prey. Finally, the old woman turned towards Dimitri, nodding with approval.

"I like her," she said, her mouth spreading into a toothy grin, "but are you sure she's not too much for you?"

He laughed at her teasing, "Please, if I can handle her, that means I can handle anything."

Anya smiled at him, surprisingly not giving him the customary glower that followed most things that he said. Baba Mishka reached out towards her, gesturing for her to follow.

"Come, come," she said, linking arms with Dimitri, "we have much to talk about, but not out here." She muttered the last part, looking apprehensively at the civilians and soldiers around them.

They made their way through the cramped streets, Anya's skinny elbows jabbing at the crowd whenever necessary, until they ended up at a barely noticeable alleyway, with a rich red and purple carpet hanging over the brick building on the left hand side. Baba Mishka pushed the carpet aside, making her way through the tiny opening while Anya and Dimitri had to duck to make their way in. Emerging from the makeshift tunnel that doubled as an entryway, they stumbled into a tiny sitting room, the air smoky from incense and perfume, filled with squashy looking armchairs, including one with a tall back, which Baba Mishka was currently situating herself into. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a few lanterns, and a few slits of sunlight peeking through the boarded up windows of the seemingly abandoned building.

"Now," Baba Mishka said, garnering the younger couple's attention once more, patting the cushioned poufs next to her, "we seem to have a problem my children."

"Yes," Anya said hesitantly, "my father…he's been possessed by-"

"Rasputin." The old woman stated matter-of-factly.

"How did you-"

"My girl," Baba Mishka said, leaning forward towards the both of them, "many of us knew who the man was, but not many knew the dreadful things he was capable of."

These words did nothing to calm Anya down, but Dimitri tried, squeezing her hand gently before he turned to Baba Mishka to ask, "What do you mean?"

She sighed, as if preparing herself for something she really didn't want to do. "You see, Rasputin was seen as a martyr to many, curing the sick and the weak with a simple prayer- you know this first hand through your mother-but once people began to doubt him in the slightest, when your father began talking of ridding the palace of his presence once medicine started to become better and better, Rasputin decided to commit a terrible sin in order to keep his favor with the royal family; he decided to sell his soul to the devil for ultimate power."

Anya and Dimitri were stunned beyond words, neither of them could think of any situation that would drive anyone to do such a thing. Hardly taking notice of their expressions, Baba Mishka continued.

"In return for his soul, he received a reliquary, filled with dark magic and demons to do his every command. Rasputin came back a tainted man and once he tried to show off his new-found power, it was to no avail. Despite your mother's poor excuses, the Czar could see the pure evil in this man's heart and banished him from the palace. Of course you remember the night he placed the curse on your family, but none of us involved in the magical arts thought he would go through with it. Yes, dark magic is powerful, very powerful, but at the same time, it eats away at you weakening you until you have to return to Hell itself so the devil could keep you for all eternity."

" No deal with the devil ever ends well." She said, Anya and Dimitri looking more horror-struck than before.

"So what you're saying…" Anya began, "is that we have to get the reliquary away from him?"

"And destroy it." Baba Mishka finished off with a curt nod. "So no one can ever get their hands on it again."

"And we're supposed to destroy a dark magical object how?" Dimitri said.

"On All Hallows Eve, when all of the spirits roam the earth." She said, "But at midnight, when all of the spirits return to their respective realms, shatter the reliquary and his source of power will return to Hell, along with him, and be trapped forever in the devil's clutches."

Anya didn't seem too fond of the ominous-sounding task, but she nodded determinedly, and so did Dimitri, the both of them ready for whatever the fates could throw at them.

* * *

As you can probably tell, the hiatus is off!

I needed something to do while I was backing up my computer and uploading a video onto youtube, so I decided to work on this!  
The long wait is over!  
I already started on the next chapter, so that'll be up whenever I have free time again [most likely soon, I am FORCING myself to do this, I won't let myself buy the Art of Tangled book until I do!]

And about the accuracy about Russia and if the Russians even celebrated Halloween/All Hallows Eve, I'm sorry about any mistakes, it's just for the story, so please forgive me, I didn't really feel like looking up the historical accuracy.

God that sounds awful. But it fits the story! And sorry about the dark turn, and all the devil talk, once again, ITS JUST FOR THE STORY, I'm not some satan-worshipper!

Anyways, thank you to the fans that have stayed with me, your patience will be rewarded soon!

lots of 3


	7. Mission Impossible

**CHAPTER 7-MISSION IMPOSSIBLE**

"How in the world are we supposed to get this stupid reliquary!"

Anya and Dimitri were back in Anya's room, having just come back from their revealing meeting with Baba Mishka, Anya having just changed out of her peasant clothes. Anya flopped backwards onto her bed, clamping her hands over her eyes with a frustrated groan. Dimitri quickly looked at her door, making sure it was closed before joining her there.

"Well…come on, it's not like he's carrying the thing around with him _everywhere_." He said while easing himself down onto the bed to lie down next to her.

"Urrrgh," she moaned, rolling over onto her stomach and muttering into her pillows, "I know, but we have to wait two whole weeks to do this! Why couldn't it be sooner?"

"Why couldn't what be sooner?"

Anya let out a small gasp when she heard the voice coming from behind her door. Frantically, she kicked Dimitri off the bed and he scrambled underneath it, just as the door opened to reveal her father. He smiled a cold, strange smile that sent shivers down her spine. She did her best to hide her revulsion as he came nearer, and even more so when he slowly eased himself onto the bed to sit next to her.

"I-it's nothing Papa." She stammered, positive that her heart was thundering enough for both her and Dimitri. "Just girl problems."

"Oh…" he said awkwardly, but then he added with a falsely bright voice "Well, I just wanted to say hi to my little shvibzik before dinner."

As he began to turn away, she noticed that the mirror by the door showed Dimitri's reflection in plain sight. Horrified, she rapidly thought of an excuse to get her father's attention again.

"PAPA!"

"Yes…" Even the Rasputin-father wasn't able to conceal his mild shock at how loudly she shouted his name.

"I have a confession, please don't think of me as a selfish brat, but you see, I'm jealous."

"Jealous? Jealous of whom?" He asked, trying his best to appear genuinely interested.

"Maria, and her fancy masquerade ball. She was able to find so many suitors, I was jealous of all of the attention they gave her."

Anya smirked inwardly; her improv skills had indeed been getting better. 'Now to go in for the kill,' she thought, 'Papa has to be in there somewhere, if this doesn't work, I don't know what will…'

And so, Anya put on the best "Daddy's Little Girl" performance of her life. Leaping off the bed and running to her father, she threw her arms around him and begged, her big blue eyes and pouty lips working their hardest.

"Please throw me a masquerade ball, Papa, I want to find the man of my dreams!"

She thought she heard Dimitri quietly fake gagging under her bed, but she ignored it, spinning her father around as she waited for his response.

"Well, uh, I guess-" Rasputin had obviously never had to deal with a young teenage girl before, and the bit of her father that was still there was caving in.

"Can we have it on All Hallows Eve Papa? ! Oh!" she cried, spinning around the room, hugging herself, "It'll be the most fabulous party you've ever thrown, a _costume ball!"_

The gears in the Rasputin part of her father 's head seemed to be churning, and she added a little more incentive to get the wicked man's permission.

"We can invite _everyone_ we know! The kings, the queens, the princes, the dukes, the army officials! Oooh I _love_ a man in uniform!"

Anya could just picture the grin plastered across Dimitri's face as they both thought about that night, and she couldn't help but genuinely smile when she turned to face her father again. "So what do you think?"

The man before her seemed to seriously consider her suggestion; she had a feeling that he'd enjoy the idea of an audience at his big comeback, especially the majority of the top officials in Russia and several neighboring countries.

"Alright!" he said, in an authentically happy voice, "Yes, marvelous idea, my little shvibzik!" Her father picked her up and spun her around, and for a second, she forgot that it wasn't her father that was holding her. Anya snapped back to reality as soon as he set her down somewhat stiffly, and began to walk away, unable to hide the giddiness that he felt. She shuffled over to her bed, attempting to hide Dimitri from view with her feet, but her father payed no attention, he was completely wrapped up in his own thoughts.

"We'll start planning tomorrow!" he cried out, waving emphatically as he walked out the door.

Anya awkwardly waved back at him, waiting until he disappeared completely from view. As soon as he was gone, she sprinted like a marathon runner to the door, slamming it shut and locking it in one swift movement, then dashed back to the bed that Dimitri was currently trying to crawl out from.

"Ohmygod." She breathed as Dimitri finally stood up, brushing dust bunnies off of his clothes, "that was _so_ close…"

He grabbed her and pulled her into a crushing bear hug, "Brilliant!" he said when he released her , "couldn't come up with something better myself."

"Huh?"

"Don't you get it?" he cried emphatically, "That's the night we have to break the reliquary, right?"

"Yes…" she said, still somewhat puzzeled.

"He's going to be completely distracted doing all of his 'czar' duties, rubbing elbows and all that, so it'll be the perfect opportunity to steal it and break the curse!"

Anya looked rather satisfied with her last minute plan, "Yea, I guess that was pretty good!

"…only could've done it since you've learned so much from me." Dimitri mumbled, pretending to examine his nails.

He knew it was coming, but he flinched anyway as Anya gave him a bop on the head.

"Idiot." She said, smiling all the while, happy to finally see a little bright light at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

Anya went to dinner later that night, a skip in her step since her accidental genius pretty much solved everything. She got settled in among her family members, the servants waiting patiently at their stations, Dimitri included, standing in the corner of the room closest to Anya. Dinner was served, everyone eating quietly, the "proper" way, only snippets of conversation when they addressed each other, all of them feeling slightly terrified of their father, and somewhat their mother.

The Czarina was looking slightly gaunt now, dark rings around her eyes, and snapping at anyone within reach for any reason. Everything other than that was going fine though, Anya and Dimitri shooting flirty looks at each other when no one was looking, just like they always did. However, at one instance, they were unfortunately caught by the Czarina.

"Anastasia! What on earth are you doing?" She demanded, making Anya practically jump out of her skin.

"N-nothing, mother," Anya replied, trying to regain calm, "I was just in a daydream, it's nothing."

Her mother's eyes narrowed, and then she quickly looked at Dimitri, "And _you_, servant, why are you looking at my daughter that way? You have no right!"

Everyone in the room, save their father was horrified; the czarina was well known to be a kind and gentle woman, she had _never _been rude to anyone, _ever. _

"Mother, _please,_" Anya begged, a hint of panic in her voice, "it was an accident, nothing is wrong!"

"No one looks at my daughter that way, peasant filth!" the Czarina spat, glaring at him viciously.

Anya noticed a small green glow out of the corner of her eye, growing brighter and brighter as her mother grew angrier and angrier. She looked over and saw that it was coming from her father, the reliquary glowing inside his breast pocket.

Dimitri noticed too, and couldn't help but look over. This didn't escape her mother's attention either.

"Now you look at my husband with those filthy eyes? Get out of my sight! Out!" She stood from her seat calling, "Guards! Guards! Take this servant out of my sight, away from the palace, he is never to return!"

"Mama, please, please don't do this! Father, father, please stop her!" Anya cried, out of her seat and rushing over to her mother and pulling on the deranged woman's arm.

The man that was supposed to be her father smiled a wicked grin. "Whatever your mother wishes is her command." he sneered, unable to conceal the excitement he felt now that his curse was in motion.

Dimitri was yanked out of the room by the palace guards, but he went as quietly as possible, so not to jeopardize Anya even further. She held her tongue as well, knowing that he'd understand, but she couldn't help but reach out to him as he was forced out of the room. The Czarina pushed her daughter out of the way and the other children ran out, terrified that she was going to find some reason to banish them as well. Their father walked out after her, acting as if nothing had happened in those short, tumultuous five minutes.

Only Anya and a few servants were left in her mother's wake, but soon enough, Anya was alone after the servants hurriedly cleaned the room and vanished, trying to avoid the mad woman at all costs. All of the hope that was there merely a few hours ago was now gone, and Anya was lost, unsure and alone in the madness that had become her life.

* * *

*updated version*


	8. Finale

**CHAPTER 8-FINALE**

October 31st couldn't have come any sooner; Anya could tell that the natives were restless. The palace had been growing darker and darker in the short two weeks before the ball, and everyone in it seemed to be taking on a gloomy disposition.

Her siblings were absolutely terrified of the darkness they felt taking over the palace; Anya would sometimes wake in the middle of the night to find Alexi crawling under the covers next to her, conveniently forgetting the fact that he was a "big boy" about to turn thirteen and cowering next to his big sister because he was now so afraid of his mother.

Even Anya would occasionally feel affected by the dark curse, and snap at someone for no reason, quickly apologizing afterwards to the victim.

It was now the night of the ball, and Anya and her siblings had been getting ready all day, occasionally going out when they were decent to greet an important guest as they arrived. It was about two hours before the ball when their grandmother came into Anya's room, where her sister Maria was helping her get ready and brother Alexi was sitting next to them, disinterested in hair and makeup. As soon as the old woman came in, all of the children ran towards her, crushing her in a hug.

"My children, my children!" she cried, astonished at their behavior, "what has gotten into you?"

"We're scared grandmother, Mama and Papa have been acting very strange." Alexi said, clinging to her desperately.

She looked up at the girls, Maria nodding furiously, and Anya, who looked the worst out of the trio, fear and anxiety growing in her eyes.

Nothing could slip by the Dowager Empress, especially something that was bothering her favorite granddaughter.

Acting as if she noticed nothing, she pulled all the children in for a hug once more and then set them to work.

"Everything will be fine by Alexi, but for now, we must not let your mother and father get even more irritated, we have to help them prepare for such a big event. Now everyone go and see what you can do-except for you Anastasia, you're not nearly ready."

Anya couldn't help but agree; her hair was half pinned up, and she was merely in her undergarments, unable to pick out a good enough costume from the dozens laid out in front of her. As her siblings made their way out of the room, her grandmother took her by the hand and led her into her room and sat her down in front of the giant vanity.

Anya trusted her grandmother as much as her mother to help her get ready, so she sat there silently as her grandmother went rifling through the costumes that were on a clothes rack next to the vanity.

"So." Her grandmother began, "has anything interesting happened since Maria's ball?"

"No, nothing really," Anya said casually, trying to appear happy for her grandmother, picking up the tiny music box that the Empress gave her so many years ago. "Anything interesting in Paris?" she replied as she stuck the necklace that she always wore into the key hole and turned it, tinkling music notes soon following as the box opened and the tiny figures inside began to dance.

"Oh, a few squabbles among the bourgeoisie, typical really," the woman said equally as casually, turning some dresses over and then putting them aside.

Anya set the music box down, the notes still tinkling away as she walked over to her grandmother.

"I have absolutely _no _idea which one to wear…"

Her grandmother nodded silently, but then her eyes lit up as she picked up the last dress.

"This one." She said smiling, holding it up to her granddaughter.

"B-but grandmamma!" Anya stammered, are you sure? It's a bit…revealing."

The old woman shrugged, "The times are changing, and besides, you'll look stunning."

"If you say so," Anya said in a falsely-happy voice as she took the costume and started to put it on.

Her grandmother moved to the vanity, taking the music box into her hands as Anya finished putting the costume on.

"I must say, you looked the most worried about your mother and father, what's wrong my dear?"

"Er-It's nothing, you know me, I can be a bit of a worrier." Anya said as she fumbled with a clasp on her costume.

Her grandmother slowly got up from her seat, setting the music box down as she helped Anya put the rest of her costume on.

"Anastasia, my dear, you are many things, but not a worrier."

'Damn,' Anya thought, wincing at her grandmothers prowess at sniffing out secrets.

She sighed and then turned to the old woman, "Alright, I'll tell you, but please don't tell anyone else."

"Fine," her grandmother said calmly, "but we need to get you ready, the ball's starting soon."

She sat Anya down and began combing her hair, taming it and making small curls at the ends. "So what's going on around here?"

Anya squeezed her eyes shut and spit it out; "Rasputin's back."

She felt the brush stop halfway down her head and looked up into the mirror to see her grandmother's expression, which wasn't a good one.

"Rasputin?" She whispered, "but he-"

"I know, I know," Anya said frantically, "and I have no idea what to do, Dimitri…Dimitri was supposed to help me stop him, but he's gone, Mama banished him. Oh Grandmama, I have no idea what to do." The girl cradeled her head in her hands, looking defeated.

"Dimitri?" her grandmother said, raising an eyebrow, "Is he one of the palace guards?"

"He's a kitchen boy…" Anya mumbled, afraid of what her grandmother would say about being around people with a much lower status than her.

"A kitchen boy…" the old woman mused, "the times really are changing…well, my child, I will help you in any way that is possible."

"What?" Anya said, completely taken off guard, "Grandmama are you sure?"

The old woman nodded with authority, "I want that evil man out of my country as much as you do."

"Alright." Anya breathed, feeling the butterflies in her stomach begin to calm down when she inhaled again, "If you really want to do this, here's the plan…"

* * *

"And now introducing, the Grand Duchess, Anastasia!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, and Anya was pretty sure she saw a few jaws unhinge and hit the ground as she made her way down the grand staircase.

She did the usual Grand Duchess smile and wave, making her way down the staircase elegantly, just as she was taught. Her spirits became somewhat brighter at her entrance, and she couldn't help but feel beautiful; The mermaid costume she was wearing was stunning; the skirt and top she was wearing was ocean blue, while the bracelets and see-through veil attached to the costume were a shimmery gold.

Anya made her way down to the rest of the family, her mother looking angry, her father looking positively smug. Her father, who was more-so Rasputin by now, made a quick speech and welcomed the guests, the ball starting as soon as he finished.

Anya mingled with the crowd for a while, pretending to be interested in what people were saying, but her mind was elsewhere, preparing for the task that lay ahead. Fifteen minutes before midnight, her grandmother called for everyone's attention, making a speech about her granddaughters and youth, distracting everyone for awhile. She then prompted her son to do the same, so he awkwardly started to make a speech, fumbling as he ad-libbed the whole thing. Anya was sneaking her way through the crowd the whole time, finally making it to the center of the ballroom where her grandmother and father were. Rasputin was completely distracted, oblivious to the fact that she was right behind him as he thought about his plan that was about to unfold in a few minutes. Right when her hand touched the reliquary hanging around his waist, she heard a sharp cry and suddenly, her mother's hand was on her shoulder, dragging her away from her father.

"What on earth are you doing, sneaking up on your father like that!" the woman yelled, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

Anya turned desperately to look for her grandmother, but she had vanished. Confused, she frantically scanned the crowd, but couldn't look any further once her father turned around, a glint of malice in his eyes as he realized what she was doing.

"You! Don't you dare touch me, Romanov swine!"

The crowd gasped, confused at the Czar's sudden change of heart. He looked up at the clock which read five minutes until midnight and then pulled the reliquary off of his belt.

"Yessss…" the Czar hissed, his body glowing an eerie green, "My powers are returning!" he cried.

Violently shoving the reliquary in the air, the glass windows of the dance hall shattered, sending shards of glass as well as panic in every direction. The guests were now clamoring for the doors, desperate to find a way out. Only the Czarina stood firm, unaffected by the events occurring, completely under his spell. Green smoke began to unfurl from the Czar's body, piling higher and higher until a new figure appeared; the real Rasputin came out of the smoke, his rotten gray hands now holding the reliquary as the Czar's body collapsed to the ground.

With another loud cry, he hoisted the reliquary into the air again, surrounding the Romanov family, save Anastasia, with the same green light emanating from himself. They were soon flung into the air, suspended several feet above the ballroom floor.

Determined to see this man gone, Anastasia rushed at him, tackling him to the ground, the reliquary flying out of his hands and hitting the ground several feet away. He gasped as he heard the fragile object hit the marble floor and he shoved Anya off of him in a quick movement, scrambling for the reliquary. She tried to reach it first, but she wasn't quick enough. With a wave of his hand, winged demons flew out of the reliquary and held her still, despite the fight she was putting up against them.

"Oh Anastasia, did you really think you could defeat me? The most powerful sorcerer in all of Russia?"

A howling wind appeared from nowhere, slamming all of the ballroom doors shut and trapping everyone inside.

"You Romanov's tried to banish me, huh? Well you and your family will be banished from this earth, and I will rule _all _of Russia!"

"I'm not afraid of you!" She shouted at him, still trying to escape her captors.

"I can fix that!" Rasputin cried, sending the partygoers into a frantic state as more monsters began pouring out of the reliquary, some right at her to pin her down, others at her family members, and more at the guests, tugging and pulling at their hair and clothes.

"Say your prayer's Anastasia! No one can save you now!" Rasputin cried, raising his hand in the air, poised to strike.

"Wanna bet!"

A fist went slamming into Rasputin's jaw, knocking him across the room. The demons dissipated as quickly as they appeared, freeing Anya. She looked around to see who her savior was and saw none other than Dimitri rushing into the room, rolling up his sleeves as he did so. He grabbed the reliquary that was lying on the ground, tossing it towards Anya as he continued charging towards Rasputin.

Rasputin roared as he got to his feet, and with a frantic movement of his hands, sent the demons holding Anya at Dimitri, smashing him into a stone pillar and knocking him out cold.

"Dimitri!" Anya screamed desperately, wanting to come to his rescue, but instead, running towards the reliquary lying on the ground three feet in front of her. Rasputin let out an anguished cry as he realized he was too late; this time she got there first, slamming her heel onto the glass vial right as the clock struck midnight.

Glaring at the evil man that had caused her family so much pain, she shouted over the clock's resounding gong, grinding her heel into the glass,

"This is for Dimitri!"

The vial quickly began to crack and turn an angry red, the monsters in the ballroom evaporating into thin air. The wind became even more violent, whipping her hair into her eyes as she shouted again,

Rasputin desperately scrambled towards her, "Give it back!"

"This is for my family!"

Anya stomped her foot again, chunks of glass breaking off of the vial and her family members were released from their invisible harnesses, dropping onto the ballroom floor.

"I'll tear you to pieces!" Rasputin screamed as he grabbed onto her leg, trying to force her off of the reliquary.

"And this!" she cried over the roaring wind, "This is for you! Dosvidanya!"

At the last chime, the reliquary shattered completely, a green beam of light shooting out of it straight into the sky, the wind circling around it.

"Noooooo!" Rasputin screamed, his body slowly melting away as winged creatures came out of the light beam, grabbing him by his arms as he desperately tried to escape him. A deep fiery chasm appeared in the ballroom floor, a few feet from where Anya stood, and as the reliquary fell in, the monsters dragged Rasputin down into the depths, the crack sealing itself up behind him.

The air now stood still, as well as everyone else in the building; a feeling of calm was beginning to penetrate the atmosphere. Anya was frozen to the spot in shock, she couldn't believe that all of that had just happened in such little time. She was brought back as soon as she heard Dimitri groan a few feet away.

"Dimitri!" She yelled as she ran towards him, knocking him over just as soon as he'd started to get up.

"Ow ow ow ow ow, let go, let go, let go!" he groaned, worming his way out of the bone-crushing embrace Anya had him in.

"Sorry!" she winced as he slowly as up, taking in his surroundings.

The rest of the family was now waking up, her mother and father in a complete daze.

"What…happened?" the Czar asked groggily, rubbing his forehead as he helped his fallen wife up.

"Papa!" Anya cried as she now flung herself at him, "It's really you!"

"Really me? Anastasia, dear, what's going on?" He laughed as she latched herself onto him.

"Oh Papa," Anya began, raising her head to look up at her father, "Rasputin, he came back and he possessed you, and then he started to control Mama, and then, tonight he was supposed to release a curse on our family, and-and-oh Papa, I'm glad you're alright."

Her father stood there dazed for a moment, but then smiled at his ecstatic daughter.

"Did _you_ save us from him, my little shvibzik?"

Anya began to nod, but she stopped and turned towards Dimitri who was trying as hard as he could to blend in with the crowd.

"Not quite," she said, stepping away from her father to grab Dimitri before he disappeared, "he helped too," she added with a fond smile.

Dimitri smiled sheepishly back at her, but did a quick awkward bow before the Czar.

"Are you a soldier, my boy?" Her father asked, clapping his hand on Dimitri's arm.

Looking slightly ashamed, Dimitri averted his eyes and mumbled, "Just a humble kitchen boy, your majesty."

Anya looked at him with sad eyes, but then tightly gripped his hand in hers as if to say that she didn't care who he was or what rank he was, he was still hers.

This small gesture didn't get past her father's watchful eye and he knew love when he saw it.

The Czar turned Dimitri towards him and said, "Any man brave enough to face Rasputin is better than the best soldier in my eyes. Especially a man who would go so far to protect my Anastasia."

Anya and Dimitri looked up, their shocked expressions mirroring each others as they looked up at her father who was beaming at them, her mother walking towards them and linking arms with her husband, smiling as well.

"From now on," the Czar's voice boomed across the ballroom, "my children and their children can marry whomever they choose, just so long as they love each other as much as these two. And let this young man and my daughter forever be remembered as the couple who saved myself, my family, and my country!"

The audience broke out into cheers as Anya and Dimitri's smiles split into even wider grins. With a whooping laugh, he picked her up into the air and spun her around, Anya crashing her lips into his as he set her down. She could hear her sisters scream with delight, but all she cared about was the man that was holding her against him.

It took them a few seconds for their own little world to dissolve back into the real one, the crowd's cheers almost deafening and her siblings attacking her with a barrage of hugs. The girls all giggled and laughed, while Alexi gave Dimitri a once over before firmly shaking his hand and nodding with approval.

"I knew you could do it," a voice said from behind them.

Anya and Dimitri whirled around to see the Dowager Empress standing there with her arms wide open.

"Grandmama!" Anya squealed as she hugged the old woman, "Where did you go? I was terrified when you left!"

"Oh, well, this old woman has a few tricks up her sleeve." she said slyly as she gave Dimitri a knowing look.

Anya shot him a puzzled glance and he just shrugged, "I'm honored to know that you think I could've broken out of prison myself, but even I'm not that good," he said as he winked at the Empress.

The old woman smiled at him and her granddaughter, then handed her off, leaving the two of them alone as she searched for her son and her daughter-in-law.

Dimitri embraced Anya again, stealing a kiss from her lips just before fireworks went off from outside of the palace. A rainbow of colored sparks filled the air with each boom, and the partygoers grew even louder, the sense of celebration increasing ten-fold.

"Wow," Dimitri said, as Anya repositioned herself so that they could both watch the fireworks, "Your dad sure knows how to throw a party."

She let out a hearty laugh, pulling his arms around her even tighter as she felt her heart fill with happiness. She was glad that this was all over; glad that this would never happen again; glad that her family was safe; and most of all, glad that he was hers and always would be. "So," Anya said, slightly swaying as the band began to play once again, the guests twirling all around them, "what now?"

Dimitri shrugged slightly, his arms still clamped around her, "I dunno, but I guess this is the end of that little adventure."

Anya shook her head, looking up and smiling at him, "No, it's just the beginning of a bigger one."

* * *

Oy vey.

Done, finally. At 2:30 AM...sorry, but there might be some typos!

First of all, I'd like to once again thank all of the dedicated fans who have stuck with me til the very end, your reviews really helped me finish this up, youe positive comments were the best pick-me-ups! I hope you enjoyed this!

I drew a quick picture of the costume that Anya wore for the /gallery/23705077#/d4c9icl

I don't think I'll be writing anything else for a while, probably just gonna stick with /user/goarikgo?feature=mhee

and my art in general, college, it's a killer.

.com/

.com/

.com/arawson/Welcome/

Maybe these will make up for me not writing anymore?

That's all for now guys, but thank you again for all of your love, you guys are the best!

Lots of love,

Andrea

*ps-I updated chapter 7, added something at the end* 10/9/11


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